Recumbent - Had a little fun last night...

Maybe I was being a little petty, but I really don't care :)

I have a pretty reasonable commute at nearly 19 miles. It's mostly uphill in the morning, which makes it a nice downhill ride on the way home. I usually maintain a fairly sedate, reasonable pace except for the couple of places where I've got a really long downhill, where I can get a little crazy.

Last night I'd just left work, maybe a mile away. Up behind me comes a roadie who's almost, but not quite, ninja. His headlight needed new batteries, and although he was wearing light clothing, he could have used some reflection. I didn't think much about it until he pulled up behind me at the light. When we started again, he made a really big show of pulling around me and passing. He was standing on the pedals, puffing hard, etc. After he pulled around in front of me, HE SLOWED DOWN to the point where I was actually going slower than I was before he passed me :troll:

So I decided to have some fun. I hit it a bit and started to gain on him. I'm pretty well lit up with 2 DiNotte 200L front lights and a dual-tube Low Down Glow. He knew I was coming up. He started hammering. He stood on the pedals and kept looking over his shoulder to see where I was. Now we started on a downhill run. You may be faster than me on the uphill, but I *own* the downhill :D. I pushed it up over 30 and blew past him like he was standing still. I didn't see any sign of him after that.

Oh, and I was nice enough to yell "On Your Left" when I passed him. He kind of glared at me.

Childish maybe, but it's so much fun. I'm overweight, nearly 50, andriding a fully-loaded commuting SWB 'bent in my street sweats. He was in his 20s, in nice rain kit (maybe that slowed him down) and riding a pretty nice looking road bike with a single pannier.

Motivation is where you find it. I don't think it is childish to have fun in friendly competition, especially when he was doing the same.

What SWB are you riding? I commute on my Corsa myself

I've got a 2006 Bacchetta Giro 20. Where are you coming from/going? I'm going from Renton up to Redmond and there's one other 'bent that passes me going the other direction, usually on the Lake Washington trail. It's dark, so I don't know what kind of bike it is, but there aren't too many 'bents around and I see this one on a semi-regular basis. I leave Renton usually at about 5:30 - 5:45, so I'm on that part of the trail somewhere around 6:00 - 6:30?? I hit the auto dealership in Factoria, where they have a time/temp sign, somewhere between 6:45 and 7:00.

Nothing wrong with a little game of 'cat and mouse'. sounds like you enjoyed it, I hope the other guy was not too hurt..... :) I'm not really able to do too much of the racing game but I do enjoy the challange to bring myself to do more, that is push myself a little.

I've got a 2006 Bacchetta Giro 20. Where are you coming from/going? I'm going from Renton up to Redmond and there's one other 'bent that passes me going the other direction, usually on the Lake Washington trail. It's dark, so I don't know what kind of bike it is, but there aren't too many 'bents around and I see this one on a semi-regular basis. I leave Renton usually at about 5:30 - 5:45, so I'm on that part of the trail somewhere around 6:00 - 6:30?? I hit the auto dealership in Factoria, where they have a time/temp sign, somewhere between 6:45 and 7:00.
I normally ride in the mornings around 7am from Kenmore through to Redmond on the West Sammamish river trail. It is an addon training portion of my commute as I don't need to take the trail at all. So I do it 1-2 times a week.

It sounds like that is another bent you are seeing. Since we are in different but close areas.

Any time two bikes are going in the same direction, it's automatically a race.

oh what's the point of having a vehicle powered by yourself, if you can't have fun with it : P he's probably won plenty of those little races before : P everybody has to loose now and then, jeez, it's fun to race, i won't lie. especially on bike paths. just make sure the person you're "racing" is actually racing, otherwise you look stupid : P

. . . After he pulled around in front of me, HE SLOWED DOWN to the point where I was actually going slower than I was before he passed me . . .

That used to to get me too. Now I just pull even and ask, "Are you doing all right?"

Now me, if I am ever luckly enough to come on a rider with 2 DiNotte 200L lights, I am going to be be following him or her and enjoying that sunshine.

Shame on You! Do you know how much pain you inflicted on his ego. I cannot imagine how much it hurts to be passed by an overweight old man on a touring bike with large tires. But I do know how much fun it is. Jim (62, overweight and riding a GRR EX or my TE EX and constantly out trolling for a fish to reel in.) (By the way I have found that large 1.5" tires and fenders make good lures)

Any time two bikes are going in the same direction, it's automatically a race.
You bet! On a club ride today w/ about 25 DFers I passed everything in sight on the down hills. I hit 43 mph on my TT. Unfortunately, I got left in the dust on the up hills:notamused: I hope more training on hills will allow me to keep up.
Mark

Having ridden a variety of bikes and recumbents w/wo fairings once a recumbent starts down a hill with a roadie it is not a race. I've had enough road bike users say they could not get a draft off of me. Mind you the 18-wheeler I passed while going down Loveland Pass probably was not getting much draft off of me either.